


Shoot to Thrill

by Mistyshadows



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Daryl is honestly the best character, Gen, Mild Language, They were friends before
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-30
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2019-07-04 16:03:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15844686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mistyshadows/pseuds/Mistyshadows
Summary: Life at the end of the world is, at best, an actual death sentence. Between fighting the dead, betrayal, and lack of necessities, things tend to spiral out of control.You thought you'd finally had everything straightened out until a large group came through the small town you and a few friends had managed to secure. One of the people in the group was directly tied to your past, and you can't learn to let the past go.





	1. Summary

**Author's Note:**

> This is just an elongated summary!!! The actual story will be posted sometime within the next week. Please subscribe or bookmark this story so you stay up to date

The Dixon brothers had been your neighbors your whole life. While the younger of the two had been a few years older than you, the two of you had been close friends. You felt like you'd known him since before you could even remember. Merle however was never around. He'd have long stints in juvie, only to come back and spend all his time trying to get high enough.

 

You had spent the beginning with the two of them, but when the dead attacked your camp, you got separated from them, and you never saw them again.

 

That is, until almost two years later, a group stumbles upon the home you share with two other women. You find out where the Dixon brothers ended up after waiting for so long.


	2. Changes

It wasn't the sound of shouting from below that frightened you, nor the gunfire. It wasn't how panicked Shelby sounded as she gave a detailed description of what was happening outside. It wasn't even the fact that there were two or three dozen dead becoming more and more agitated. It was how large the group was, and that they all appeared to be packing heat.

Layne sat against the furthest wall from the direction the group came from, loading a new cartridge into her semi-automatic rifle. "They could be dangerous, we have to be ready. We all remember last time," she said, and you felt their eyes on your back.

It would feel almost like a low blow, but Layne had a point. Things could get out of hand. You didn't know these people, who knew what they were capable of.

They skirted between a row of parked cars, managing to avoid the majority of the dead. The dead ones lunged forward, trying to make up for lost ground. You could hear their snarls from the second floor window.

A woman with long dreadlocks swung what looked like a katana at the dead, severing heads from their shoulders. Most were using knives to take out the ones that got too close, but a few were using their guns. Every few seconds another shot would ring out, making Shelby jump.

You finally snapped to your senses and aimed your rifle at the crowd of the dead, taking out as many as you could. A few dead turned at the new sound, and it gave the people below a chance to finish off the closer ones. Once the pack was dispatched, the group looked up into the window, and directly at you.

"Dumbass, you should've left it. Now they know we're here," Layne complained, raising her gun and watching the people closely. "I thought what happened before would have made you more cautious; I guess you don't care what happens to you anymore, but I really don't want to be-"

"Shut up, or it ain't just gonna be the dead I'm killing today," you said in a low voice, staring her down. You raised your gun level with her lower abdomen. Your stomach did a somersault as you thought about what she had been about to say.

Layne glared back, seconds ticking by. Her finger twitched towards the trigger, then relaxed. "Fine. Let's greet our guests."

* * *

 

There were more than you'd first thought. They filled up the entrance hall, completely silent. None of them looked like they'd had a wink of sleep in days.

Layne made them give up their weapons, telling them they'd get them back when they left. This was a temporary situation. The katana-wielding woman held Layne's stare for a long moment before giving up her sword. A crossbow was handed to you, and you felt a jolt through your body.

A tall, broad-shouldered man stepped forward; his bright blue eyes were kind as he thanked your group for helping them. His name was Rick, and his group was his family. He introduced the rest, and they would wave or nod. Until he got to the last man in the back; he needed no introduction.

It took a moment of putting pieces of your memories together. The crossbow, the beginning of a beard, the frown. Daryl Dixon. "No fucking way."

Rick looked up at you, startled. "Excuse me?" Everyone froze.

Finally, Daryl looked directly at you, and he blinked rapidly. He looked as surprised as you felt.

You had to speak, had to say something, anything, to break the silence. Only one thing came to mind. "Its been a long time, Dixon, ain't it?"

"You know him?" Rick's kind eyes suddenly looked suspicious. Everyone stared at you, even Layne and Shelby. "How do you know him?"

You glanced at Daryl, who slowly came towards you. "I've known him since before."

"We were neighbors," he added queitly. His eyes locked with yours as he came to stand in front of you. "I thought you was dead."

"Almost, thanks to you and your idiot brother." You glared at him; he took a step back, eyes wide. "Where is that sack of shit anyway? I wanna shoot him in the dick."

Daryl raised his chin slightly, and quietly said, "Merle's dead."

"What?"

"Someone else laid claim to shooting him first." This came from the woman who had the katana. "Though a few of us wished we'd been first in line."

Daryl gave her a side look, one that you recognized all too well, but he continued. "Happened 'bout a month or two ago, I guess."

"Hmm. Wish I'd been there, I could've gotten him first." You turned, and met Layne's cold stare. "So who killed the bastard?" you asked without breaking eye contact with her.

Rick shuffled beside you, and said, "We had some trouble with another group. Merle had been with them for a while, but they betrayed him. Eventually, he came back with us. When the leader found Merle, he killed him."

"Honestly, I'm glad he's dead. Merle had it coming for a long time."

"You speak from experience. What did he do to you?" A young woman stepped forward. She had short brown hair, and her southern accent almost bordered on hick.

Memories came flooding back, suffocating you. "You really wanna know?" People looked at you expectantly. "Ask Daryl."

The brown haired woman and everyone else turned to Daryl. He stared back, looking like a deer in the headlights. "I, uh," he began. "I don' really remember most of it."

"Bullshit," you spat. "Tell them about you and me and Merle, one big merry band."

He hesitated, looking around at his group, but continued, "(Y/n) was with me an' Merle at the beginnin', when it was jus' weird news. She camped with us for 'bout two, maybe three weeks, but we got overrun."

"Your moron brother told me to wait for you. He said you would come back for me." You paused, your heart pounding. You had been so scared, and you had trusted them. "You never came back for me, Daryl. Why didn't you come back?"

"Merle told me you was dead."

"What?"

Daryl deflated, barely meeting your eyes. "He said you was bit, that we had to go. I didn' know."

"Do I look like I was bit?"

He shook his head once. "If I'd known..."

He didn't need to say anything else. All the anger you had held in your heart for Daryl disappated. "Oh. That changes things."


	3. Search

 

It had been two days, and things were definitely different; fifteen new people- including the baby- had just moved into the same building you and the two others stayed in. It was so much louder than you'd remembered. People's voices bounced off the corridors, Judith's cries felt deafening at times, and a cute girl named Tara seemed to want nothing more than to be by your side.

Daryl, however, seemed dead set on avoiding you since the initial confrontation. He would disappear whenever you looked for him.

"Have you tried the roof?" suggested Sasha, almost staring through you. "He probably went to get a good look around."

"I tried the roof already, and he's not in the dorms, or the library," you said, feeling hopeless. Maybe he just never wanted to see you again. You _had_ pointed a knife at him.

Sasha shifted her weight. "What about the cafeteria?"

Shit, you'd forgotten to check there. You thanked her and went off to the main hall, passing Glenn and Maggie talking to Rick.

The cafeteria was typically empty, but today a dark figure lurked in the corner, staring out the window.

"Hey, Daryl."

Daryl turned halfway, looking at you warily. "You gone pull a knife on me again?" Aha, that's what he was upset about.

You sighed and sat at one of the round tables. "I was pissed, and, no offence, rightfully so. But I'm sorry, Daryl. Can we talk?" He hesitated, but nodded once, taking a seat across from you. You took a deep breath, and asked, "So, after what happened, where did you go?"

He shrugged. "Me an' Merle made it on our own for a while. Then we ran into this group led by a guy, Shane. Then Rick showed up, an' he took over."

At your urging, Daryl quietly told you about the original campsite, about finding Maggie Greene and her family's farm, the state penitentiary, Woodbury, and so on. He talked about the terrible choices the group had been forced to make in order to survive. As you listened, you could almost hear the screams of the dying, the moans of the walkers. You wondered how the rest had ever survived that long.

"Your turn." He was biting his nails, something he had done a lot as a kid, but mostly when he was nervous.

You chuckled. "Where to begin?"

"After me an' Merle."

"I dunno, I just kind of wandered the woods for a while, scavenged where I could. I met Shelby behind a Publix; she was hiding inside a dumpster after a huge group of- what did you call them, walkers?- came through. We stuck together, and eventually came across Layne and her boyfriend Wesley and a few others. None of them lasted long, and eventually it was just us four. We found this place, and we took it. There were only a few dead inside, so it was quick and easy." You paused, knowing what came next.

Daryl noticing you had stopped, leaned forward. "What?"

Your eyes fell away from his, and you let out the breath you didn't realize you had been holding. "Yeah, I, uh. Gimme a second." You focused on your breathing, and you could feel Daryl watching you closely.

Once you felt like you were in control again, you continued, "A group came through. Maybe seven or eight men. They ki-" A shudder ran through your body as tears welled up in your eyes. "They killed Wesley and then they... they-"

"Stop." You looked up and Daryl was staring at you, his dark eyes unreadable. "Don't say nothin' you don't wanna say."

"T-they hurt us. Repeatedly." The tears spilled over, and you pressed the heel of your hand into your eyes for a few moments. Finally, the terror of talking about it began to subside, but you could feel your entire body shaking. "They left a few days later, and it was just us three, until y'all showed up."

Daryl stood and walked around to your side of the table and sat beside you. He didn't reach out, or say anything. He didn't have to.

You composed yourself, glancing around to make sure nobody else saw your breakdown. Luckily, you and Daryl were alone, the cafeteria almost silent. "I'm sorry, that was stupid, I don't know where that-"

"Shh." Daryl shook his head. "Don't worry 'bout it."

Your gaze shifted to the table, and Daryl stayed next to you. Nothing more needed to be said, and the jagged pieces fit together. All was not well, but things were better than they could have been.


	4. The Barn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a shitty filler chapter, but I promise I'll eventually rewrite it. I'll even put a note on whatever chapter I get to, saying to go back and read this chapter. You don't have to, of course, but if you want it will be here.

They were coming. You could hear the snarls of the dead echoing down the hall; you were running out of time. You had to find Layne.

You didn't know how the walkers had gotten in, who could have left the doors open, but there were too many to handle.

Rick ran past you to where Carl and Judith had been staying, shouting for everyone to hurry, keep up. Your world was closing in.

Someone called your name; you turned and saw Maggie, her gun raised as she checked for any walkers that had made it to your hall. "C'mon, we gotta go."

"I can't find Layne!"

"She's probably already out, let's go," Maggie said in a rush, motioning for you to follow. You glanced around her room once more before running after her.

* * *

Nothing could prepare you for the absolute terror of dying trapped inside a barn, waiting for the walkers to finally push through and kill you all.

Your heels dug into the soft ground as the wind picked up all around. The storm only riled the walkers up, and they heaved themselves against the door, desperate to get inside.

Someone was shouting, but their words were lost in the fray.

Shelby was beside you, pushing with all her might. Tears were streaming down her face. She saw you looking at her and gasped, "I don't want to die!"

You shook your head, but you weren't sure if she could differentiate between a shake and being pushed by the door.

Minutes ticked by, and the wind picked up, but within an hour or so, the doors were no longer being pushed against. Slowly, people drifted back to where their things had lain, forgotten in the chaos.

Shelby used her pack as a pillow and promptly passed out. As you laid beside her, your thoughts overwhelming you. What if the walkers had gotten in? You doubted any of you would have made it, there were so many. Even if the group had the firepower, the group would need to be much larger to even consider taking on that many.

A heavy sigh startled you from your dark thoughts, and you saw Rick finally going to where Carl and Judith sat. Carl handed Judith over, and stretched out. Rick sat beside them, and smiled sleepily at his daughter. _He's probably thanking god they're alive._

You did your best to quiet your mind, finally thinking about a song you used to listen to before, and you concentrated on the lyrics. Before you knew it, you were sound asleep.


	5. UPDATES

Y'all I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while, I just haven't had the time recently. Between school, a job and a separate internship, I'm stretched thin, plus there's a lot going on in my personal life like my father being terminally ill and my having mental illness. Everything is just messed up right now. I promise I will have an update soon, it just might be a filler chapter though. Thank you for your patience with me, and I hope y'all continue to read my works!

 

Forever yours,

Alison

**Author's Note:**

> Its been a long time, hasn't it? So this is just a summary of the rest of the story, I'm still writing the first bit, buuuuut I'll be posting a lot more often now!


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